Gravity (28 page)

and a bag full of clothes did, minus my phone. Not my clothes, as they were a little bit big for my

narrow frame. After putting my hair in a ponytail, I slipped out of that ridiculous gown and put on

jeans and a sweatshirt.

Suddenly the door clicked open.

Christian eased in with his back to me as he kept his gaze on the guard outside the door who

looked entranced. Silver cuffs were locked on his wrists with infused metal that blocked his

Vampire abilities. Or at least some of them.

“Christian, are you okay? What are you doing here?” I whispered.

His fangs descended, startling me a moment as he stalked forward and gripped my shoulders.

“Is this all he did?” he asked, holding my chin and staring at my bloody lip.

“I don’t think he liked the tats.”

“Damn right he didn’t.” Christian bit into his wrist and offered me his blood. “The metal binds

only some of my gifts, but not the power in my blood. Drink so your face will heal.”

It was awkward to be standing in the middle of a room, sucking on someone’s wrist, but that’s

exactly what I did. I couldn’t help but notice the possessive look in his eyes as I ingested his blood.

“I can’t hear a damn thing and my strength is gone.”

“Were you charming the guard?”

“I got a free pass to visit. Tarek seems to like your position as an apprentice. I don’t know what

inside information he could possibly want, but if Nero’s involved, then Tarek’s pockets are getting

fat. I filled your fiancé’s head with happy thoughts that Novis would cut you from his employment

if he found out you broke Mage tradition.”

“What tradition?”

“Moving in together before the bonding ceremony. Now he’s scrambling with what to do.”

I glared as I continued suckling from his wrist. One thing I knew was Mage law, and that

wasn’t in any of the books I’d read.

Christian shrugged. “So I fibbed a little. I told him I wanted to see that you were unharmed.”

He brushed a loose strand that had fallen from my ponytail. “You can stop now; it’s healed.”

He ran his rough, wet tongue across the bite where my blood mingled with his. When he

pursed his lips, his tongue rolled around in his mouth and his expression changed. It was a private

look, as if he tasted something familiar, because I knew he was getting nothing from me

otherwise. He lifted his black eyes to mine and I blinked. I didn’t like a Vampire watching me, nor

did I care for the look of ownership on his face that he couldn’t conceal.

“I really thought this would work,” I said in a defeated voice. The room grew eerily quiet as a

memory from the party came back. “What happened with Justus? You didn’t tell me what the

emergency was.”

He clasped his hands in front of him and lowered his chin. “Page has been kidnapped and they

think it was her partner.”

I stood up and paced. “I feel so useless here.”

It was then I realized I’d no longer be involved in Justus’s life the way I had been before. I was

taken out of the game and forced to sit on the sidelines in both personal matters and investigative

ones.

“They went to Slater’s house and turned up nothing.”

“Slater?” I touched my lip absently in thought. Christian remained quiet, watching me cross the

room as I leaned against the far wall with my eyes on the floor.

“What are you thinking?”

“Page told me Slater only wants to make intelligent babies with her,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“But she revealed that she was infertile. Not only that, but Slater knew it. I got the vibe he didn’t

really like her otherwise, so I don’t see this as some possessive male thing. Why would he kidnap a

woman he doesn’t even like, who can’t give him the one thing he wants?”

“You don’t think it was him?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know, I’m just thinking out loud. How much longer are you allowed

to stay?”

“Five minutes.” There was a stretch of silence before he spoke again. “But you’re coming with

me.”

My heart knotted in my throat. “What?”

“To be sure.” Christian smiled, and something slipped out between his lips. “I’m pretty handy

with pocket picking. When I first came to America, it was a way of life and put bread on the table.

You had to be able to do it so effortlessly that it wouldn’t break their stride. I’ve got magic fingers.”

He slid the key in the lock and his cuffs fell on the bed.

“I can’t.”

“You’re refusing to be free?”

“I can’t, Christian. If I leave, he might…”

His Irish accent became so thick I could barely understand him. “He might anyway, ever

thought of that? Tarek is stewing over what happened, and with Logan’s fecking paws on your

panty line, he’s going to take it out on you. It’s time to come clean, lass. Your friends should be

made aware of the danger they’re in. Silence is power, Silver. Don’t give him your silence.”

“We’ll never get out. He’s got Chitahs for guards!”

“Who will not lay a hand on you, and on that you have my word.”

Inching toward him I whispered, “They’re fast, and I can’t outrun them with this necklace on. I

can’t fight.”

“Which is why you’ll do exactly as I say,” he replied in a stern voice.

Christian shook out of his trench coat and removed his jacket and tie.

“I want you to shadow behind me and keep your emotions covered up. There are two guards

between the front door and us. Once we take out the dolt standing in the hall, that’ll leave us with

Curly.”

“Curly?”

A crooked smile graced his expression beneath the scruffy dark beard. “Never watched the

Stooges?”

“What about the Vampire who’s been tracking you?”

In a grandiose gesture, Christian swished his coat around my shoulders. I slid my arms through

the long sleeves while he rolled up the cuffs. “Tarek sent him out since he thinks I’m contained. No

matter what happens, I want you to trust me.”

His fingers worked the buttons through the holes and he stopped on the last one. “That won’t

do,” he muttered, staring at my bare feet. “Got a pair of sneakers in the bag?”

I shook my head.

Christian double-layered my feet with socks. “Ready yourself, girl. I’m going to let him in. Stand

behind the door so he doesn’t see you.”

I took a deep breath, preparing for a fight without any of my abilities of flashing or regenerative

healing. I glanced at Christian, who had rolled up his sleeves like a guy who was ready to kick

some ass in a street fight. And with his strength, he could.

“Wait,” I stalled, grabbing his arm as he motioned to knock on the door. Christian gave me a

rather charming sideways smile as he shooed me with his hands. His knuckles lightly rapped

against the wood twice.

I sucked in a calming breath of air. We didn’t need the Chitah picking up a scent of fear and

adrenaline. I casually picked at my thumbnail as the key slid into the lock and metal clicked. It was

like a scene out of a horror movie as the doorknob slowly turned. Christian’s hand hovered over the

handle, and his black eyes shrank to slivers as he yanked it back.

The door obstructed my view, and I heard a gasp and a hard fist pounding against someone’s

face. Christian turned around and dragged the unconscious man to the bed where he cuffed him.

The left side of the Chitah’s face was sunken in from crushed bones. Chitahs heal slowly, but it was

a gruesome display of a Vampire’s power.

“Come on,” he said.

I followed behind Christian as we moved into the hall. I bumped into him a few times, but I

kept quiet as a mouse in my socks. It seemed too easy as we looked down the staircase. Christian

cocked his head, listening with his keen Vampire ears.

Knowing I was in a house full of Chitahs, I pressed my face against his back and thought of all

my preferred flavors of gum. Grape was tasty, but the flavor never seemed to last. Anything

strawberry or raspberry was always a good pick, although once I had tried a foreign brand I

bought in an Asian store and while I couldn’t pinpoint the flavor, it was the most delicious gum I’d

ever tasted.

I used these thoughts to distract me from putting out any strong emotional scents that would

be noticed. Christian was undetectable to them, but he never looked stressed.

We went down the stairs, one careful step at a time. He’d pause and listen on every third step.

Once my foot touched the bottom, I looked at the home stretch. Three steps and we’d be out the

front door.

Christian positioned me against his hip so that I was between him and the wall. I reached for

the door handle and he caught my wrist, holding it like an iron lock. But he wasn’t looking at the

door or me. His neck snapped toward the hallway on our left.

From the shadows, someone moved so fast that they were on us in seconds. Christian backed

me up against the wall and shielded me with his body. The guard lunged with his teeth bared.

Christian swung out his arm, but missed. The Chitah stopped moving long enough for me to see

the shine on his bald head.

“Christian, we have to get out of here,” I hissed.

If the Chitah called out to the other guards or Tarek, the game would be over. Christian was an

immovable force to be reckoned with.

The Chitah charged twice and made the mistake of reaching out to grab me. Christian caught

him by the neck and an audible snap later, the man fell to the floor.

“Will he die?” I whispered.

“He’ll wake up with one hell of a headache. Come on,” he said, rushing me outside.

Christian had the ability to shadow walk in dark places, but the moon was out, and I wouldn’t

be able to keep up with him with the chain around my neck. I ran so hard that the frosty air

burned my lungs. We crossed the main stretch of property and I grabbed at his white shirt to slow

him down.

“Wait, I can’t run like this.” I bent over and coughed, struggling to catch my breath. “Are you

sure those were the only guards?” My feet ached from having tromped over acorns and twigs.

“Would you like me to set up a tea party out here so we can talk about it? Let’s not dwell on

the details. Run your arse off!”

I balled up my hands and sprinted like an Olympic champion. At first, it was easy with the cold

air adding a little zing in my step. But eventually, I got a stitch in my side and slowed down. A

blast of wind came up from behind and I shivered, but the wind didn’t make me tremble. I turned

around, heart racing.

“What’s wrong?”

I stared into the blackness behind us, in the direction of the house. “Do you hear anything? It

feels like we’re being watched.”

Christian’s silhouette was barely visible and he clamped his hand across my mouth to silence

my breathing.

“Run!” He shoved me forward and I stumbled in confusion. “As hard as you can, run!”

Panic moved through me like a riptide and I hauled ass, leaving Christian behind. I reached a

slope and climbed to the top, looking both ways as I stepped onto the asphalt. On the left, a VW

sputtered in my direction, looking like nothing short of the cavalry.

I waved my arms. None of Tarek’s men would be caught dead in a Beetle, so I frantically ran

down the road, hoping they didn’t run me over.

“You need a lift?” a young guy asked. He poked his head out of the window and I walked

around quickly to his door. He looked like a college kid with brown hair combed down over his

forehead and a university T-shirt.

“My car broke down,” I panted, smiling as much as I could. “It’s freezing out here and I need a

ride.”

He glanced at my socks so I had to think quickly. “I didn’t think the car would conk out on me.

I had a craving for nachos and couldn’t find my shoes. That’s what I get.” I laughed, trying to

make it sound like something we’ve all done once or twice late at night.

“Hop in,” he said, rolling up his window.

Jesus. He bought it.

I ran around the car and sank into the bucket seat, staring at his large, round wheel. “Wow, I

didn’t think these things ran anymore.” I tried to swallow but my throat was sticky and dry.

“Were you running?”

“Yeah. I didn’t want to get stuck out here alone, so I just started running. Gump style, ya

know?”

He laughed and I relaxed a little, wanting to scream at him to hit the gas. Muscles jumped in

my legs and I slid down the seat as he cranked the heater up and started to drive.

“Thanks for stopping. Three other cars tried to run me over,” I lied.

“No biggie,” he replied. “I’m Nate.”

I almost said my name, but caught myself. “Ember.”

“Cool name,” he said, shifting gears.

Nate was probably out on a beer run or something. I kept swallowing and breathing through

my nose. My mouth was so dry that I couldn’t summon a drop of spit if I tried. He reached around

back and handed me a bottle of cold water. I cracked it open, taking welcoming sips of the nearly

frozen water he must have kept in his car for emergencies.

“I’m not sure where you’re going, but I’ve only got a few dollars in the tank.”

“I won’t put you out,” I promised. “Just drop me off wherever you want once we get into town

and I’ll be fine. I spent all my money on snacks, so I can’t give you anything for gas unless your